This dealer sounds awful. If they won't lift a finger for a sale then what help will you get if there's an issue?
Personally I don't think I'd give them a second chance.
However would point out that buying from a dealer does give you legal rights and whilst those can be troublesome to enforce directly, if you pay a small amount on a credit card then the card company are jointly liable.
If there are charges for paying by card then I usually put £1 on it as a precaution to get the protection.
That doesn't negate any research for me, just provides extra protection if the dealer goes bust (which does happen) or renages on their obligations - so I'd say there are definitely advantages in buying from a dealer.
